


Twilight Years

by arnediadglanduath



Series: Forever And Beyond [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Domestic, Fluff, M/M, Older Characters, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-04-18
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arnediadglanduath/pseuds/arnediadglanduath
Summary: A brief glimpse into the lives of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, over thirty years after the events of Under the Four Moons.





	Twilight Years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anesor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/gifts).



_“Master Skywalker is really boring.”_

_“...He made us recite the twenty-one maxims twenty times after Padawan J’shtla told him he didn’t see the point in it. **Twenty-one** times!”_

_“I bet he spends his free time reading the Code to the other Masters in the Council Chamber. I can’t believe anyone as boring as him was ever a war hero._

Sequestered in a peaceful but obscure corner in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was using every discipline in his power not to burst out laughing. The newly-initiated Padawans strolling by were oblivious to his presence, and they continued deeper into the gardens without so much a glance in his direction. When they were a relatively safe distance away, he stood, rolled up his meditation mat, and made his way to the exit; chortling under his breath the entire time. Anyone who’d known Anakin in his younger years would have paled at the notion of simply _thinking_ of him as boring, but the new up-and-comers were not privy to such knowledge. They saw him as their old and frankly annoying Grand Master who was perhaps far too spritely for his age and too clever for them to get away with anything overly questionable. Obi-Wan knew better, of course... Anakin was far more lenient than Master Yoda had ever been, but he had taken to the position well, and he was respected for it...now in any case.

Anakin’s presence in the Temple was a bitter sore to those who had fought during the Massacre. Knight Khandra never fully accepted the arrangement that was put in place after the remaining Jedi assembled and held council. Obi-Wan couldn’t take away the fact that she’d tried, but she’d still resigned her post. Anakin had walked into their rooms one day, a scrap of paper clutched between his fingers and a face as white as freshly fallen snow.

_‘I’m sorry, but I cannot reconcile my emotions with the Force. Please inform the Council I’m resigning my position. May the Force be with you.’_

Khandra’s resignation was a blow to the Order, especially to the Younglings she’d looked after during the brief time she’d spent at the Temple. Luminara had been left scrambling to find volunteers who would help her manage both the creche and the dorms, Anakin had spent several weeks having a mental crisis, which was no help to anyone at all. In the end, it was Yoda who managed to talk him out of leaving for the sake of the ‘greater good.’  
Yoda had died a little less than thirty years after the New Temple was formed. The old Grand Master had spent many of his twilight moments observing the construction of the Order, sometimes mediating arguments between members who didn’t agree and sometimes helping Luminara in the creche. Much to Obi-Wan’s surprise, he made an obvious effort to avoid interfering with whatever plans they formulated, and if he did have an opinion, it was usually over something they’d missed. When he wasn’t involving himself in Temple activities, he was meditating. Towards the end of his life, Obi-Wan noticed that he spent longer and longer intervals of time communing with the Force, as if trying to reassure himself that everything would be alright when he was gone. It was, at once, both endearing and heartbreaking.

It was anticipated that Anakin would be named the next Grand Master, but it had still been somewhat of a shock for Obi-Wan to see his former padawan take Yoda’s customary seat when the next Council was called. Anakin himself looked no less dumbfounded by his position and spent several weeks trying to ‘fill his new shoes’ so-to-speak, before really understanding the scope of his duties. That didn’t mean he was entirely happy with what being the Grand Master entailed. He’d been horrified to have people bowing to him whenever they wanted to speak with him until Obi-Wan explained that it wasn’t so much out of duty or obligation as it was out of respect.

_‘You remember how you had to bow to your superiors as a Padawan, don’t you? Even Knights and Masters must acknowledge their position; it gives the Younglings a perception of rank and respect. You don’t have to like it, you just have to deal with it.’_

The halls outside the Room of a Thousand Fountains were busy, but not overly loud. They’d taken in perhaps a hundred potential initiates soon after the guidelines for the New Order were established. These trainees had been taught in classes of ten, rotating between Obi-Wan, Uvell, and Anakin. Each initiate was taught both the Code of the Creche and the Jedi Code, with no heavy emphasis on one or the other. Combat training was four days a week with Master Uvell or-in the case of the first wave of initiates-Master Yoda. Studies pertaining to meditation and communion with the Force were left to Obi-Wan, and Anakin’s lectures circulated around emotionalism and discipline. Luminara occasionally stepped in to take over combat training, but she was often too busy with the creche. Due to the sheer number of initiates, padawan training was done in a group setting, with electronic simulators rather than extensive and lengthy missions with a single Master. Each padawan was judged on how well they worked with their fellow teammates, their proficiency in dealing with a crises, prowess in combat, and their emotional stability when it came to decisions that were not necessarily moralistic.

It took twenty five years of hard work, but they soon had seventy-eight Jedi Knights that were fully capable of taking on padawans of their own. Eighteen of those Knights chose the Code of the Creche, many having formed romantic bonds, and there were others who wanted to be Mind Healers. The rest were soon shipped off on solo missions of their own; whether it be infiltrating smuggling operations or working in tangent with the Senate. When the time came for them to take on padawans they did so happily, and the Order had continued to grow. Though none of the Knights had risen to the level of Master quite yet, they still had a voice on the Council, as there were many more of them than there were Masters, and Anakin insisted that they couldn’t make decisions for such a large group without their input.

Obi-Wan side-skirted a massive gaggle of Younglings following Knight Sivarshii, each attempting to hover a remote just above the cupped palms of their hands. A mischevious looking Twi’lek spotted him and grinned, abruptly losing her focus and dropping her cargo. Obi-Wan raised a fond but stern eyebrow and continued on his way. Subverting his attention, he allowed himself to sink into the Bond for a brief moment, smiling as Anakin paused and sent a gentle flood of affection towards him before returning to whatever he was doing. They were older now, certainly. Anakin had gotten his first grey hair at forty-five and Obi-Wan had teased him relentlessly for it. He was one to talk, of course. Halfway through his sixties, he didn’t think there was a red hair left on his body...but it didn’t particularly bother him. He was fairly fortunate to have avoided getting too many wrinkles at that point, and the only part of his body that hurt consistently was his knees. Anakin liked to tell him it was from too much meditating.

Now, with his former padawan at half a century and he himself getting close to three-quarters, Obi-Wan sarcastically reflected that perhaps he’d allowed Anakin to get his way in the bedroom more often than was necessary. Both of them enjoyed receiving, but the younger man was apparently made for it, and the amount of time Obi-Wan had spent on his knees holding his partner’s legs up was frankly a little bit ridiculous. He didn’t envy him the position-pun not intended-but he despaired of his younger self’s ability to say no. Then again, it was very hard to say no to someone as attractive as Anakin in any case.

Palming the door to their quarters, Obi-Wan stepped through with a weary sigh and began to shrug out of his cloak. They’d eventually moved out of the room near the Fountains after realizing it would be far more beneficial to turn it into a communal room for their abundance of Padawans. As cliche as it seemed, they’d returned to the rooms they’d shared as a Master-Padawan team; with the small change of turning Anakin’s old bedroom into a study. Their decor remained simplistic and nondescript, with perhaps a few items they’d acquired during their years together adorning a small section of wall. Anakin had struggled with Temple confinement at first, but his itch for adventure had slowly waned as he aged, and he seemed content with his lot now.

Leia and Luke visited when they could, which wasn’t often, but their visits were filled with laughter and fond memories. Neither of them harbored any hatred towards their father for their mothers’ death, having been told of the events leading up to her untimely demise. Leia was deeply involved in politics on Alderaan. As the planet’s next prospective Queen, her involvement in the Senate was expected, if not required. Luke had given up his position as High Prince at the age of eighteen, handing the title off to his sister without so much as a second thought; leaving Alderaan to go explore the Galaxy to its fullest potential. Both children were Force Sensitive, but both Bail and Anakin had agreed that Temple life was not what Padme would have wanted for her children. In any case, both seemed insurmountably happy with what they were currently doing, and that was what truly mattered.

An idle laugh gave Obi-Wan pause, and he turned from the cloak rack to observe Anakin sitting on the couch next to Leia, who was frowning over what appeared to be a large star chart.

“That’s Sump” Anakin said quietly, his hair curtaining his face as he pushed his reading glasses up with one finger and pointed with the other. “If you’re so interested in involving politics there, maybe you should go yourself.”

“I can’t” Leia complained. “I’ve got twenty meetings this month on top of everything else, there’s no hope for it. If we don’t do something about the route soon we’ll have a riot.”

“Then you should make time” was the sage reply, and Obi-Wan grinned as those blue eyes rose to meet his. “There you are” he muttered, standing and crossing the room so they could speak privately. “You help her, I haven’t got a clue what she’s talking about.”

“Can it wait?” Obi-Wan queried, not bothering to lower his voice.

Leia glanced up from the chart, her expression turning from irritation to one of fondness as she caught sight of him.

“Perhaps” the she said cheerfully, switching off her holopadd and rising to greet him. “Give us a kiss and maybe I’ll think about it.”

“Of course” the Jedi Master chuckled, leaning forward to kiss her upturned cheek. “I’ve ordered dinner if either of you are interested.”

“I’m always interested” Anakin replied, rolling his eyes and capturing Obi-Wan’s chin so he could steal his mouth. “ _Mmm_ , though I thought you’d be meditating for quite a while longer, I’ll admit.”

“I couldn’t concentrate after a group of Younglings walked by talking about how old and boring you are” Obi-Wan replied loftily, brushing past the two of them so he could put away his boots.

Leia laughed and disappeared into the kitchenette to retrieve some dishes.

“I’m not boring” Anakin replied, following Obi-Wan into their bedroom, watching as he hunted for his house shoes. “You wear slippers, how does that make you less boring than me?”

“Oh hush Anakin” Obi-Wan said exasperatedly, watching as the younger man flopped onto the bed. “You’re fifty years old, that’s _old_ to some four-foot-tall Padawan whose not seen more than seven years of his life.” Pulling on his so-called _’slippers’_ he turned and raised an eyebrow. “If you think you’re old, you should hear what they say about me.”

“You’re not old” Anakin muttered, sitting up and scootching over so he could wrap his arm around the other man’s waist. “You haven’t counted a birthday since I was Knighted, so technically you’re only in your late twenties.”

Obi-Wan snorted.

“Fat lot of good that’s done me” he groused, stroking a thumb over Anakin’s lips before getting up. “Come now, you didn’t tell me Leia was visiting, I can’t imagine she’ll be here long.”

“I leave in a few hours” was the melodious reply from the bedroom door. “It’s a spur of the moment visit, to be completely honest.” She hefted the styrofoam box in her hands. “Food’s here, figures you’d get Dex’s but I’m not complaining.”

“Nobody complains about Dex’s” Obi-Wan replied, tugging Anakin to his feet and leading him back to the living room.

“Seems his son has done well” Anakin mused. “I was surprised to hear he’d returned from the Outer Rim.”

“Studying obscure cuisine apparently” was the absentminded reply. “He’s rather good, though I’m afraid I’m partial to Dex’s recipes.”

“Of course you are _Damin_ ” Leia replied, rolling her eyes in a very Anakin-esque manner....

“Leia” Anakin said exhasperatedly.

“It’s fine” Obi-Wan replied, waving an idle hand. “I’m stuck in my proclivities, I’m not ashamed of it.”

They ate in silence for a while, though Leia finished her meal sooner than the both of them and was constantly checking her chronometer. Dressed in a clean, sky-blue dress with white ribbing, her hair was done up in a way that reminded Obi-Wan of her mother. In truth, Leia visited far more often than her brother, and he had a sneaking suspicion that it was due to the fact that she understood Anakin more. Luke was temperate, calm, and focused...much like Padme had been. He had more in common with Obi-Wan than anyone else in the Temple, and they’d spent a good amount of time discussing the fact in private moments.

 _’I feel like Dad and I come from two different worlds’_ he’d muttered. _’He’s so...vibrant, excited about everything. Him and Leia are so much alike...I know I should feel happy when we’re all together, but I just feel...distant.’_

Leia and Anakin got along like two banthas in a mud puddle...if such a thing were possible. Anakin’s daughter was fiery, passionate and stubborn like her father. They could argue with each other for hours and come out happier than they were before, whilst arguments with Luke left the younger man worried and withdrawn. Anakin was intemperate, as quick to frown as he was to laugh, and the two of them together were discordant...unlike father and daughter. Obi-Wan understood his former padawan on an intimate level that no one else could be privy to, but Leia was very close. It made him happy to see that he had such a close relationship with her, but he felt desperately sorry for Luke. Anakin always made an effort to include him when he came around, but the awkwardness was still there, and Obi-Wan could tell it was difficult for both of them.

More than that, Anakin saw his deceased wife in Luke to a degree that was staggering. Luke was soft-spoken like Padme, and his gestures and mannerisms mirrored hers...even though he’d never known her. Luke was independent, affection didn’t come easy to him, and Anakin had confessed to Obi-Wan that his ex-wife had been the same way.

 _’Intimacy was something she was fond of’_ he’d said bitterly. _’Like you’re fond of a pet; tolerant, indulgent, and often dismissive.’_

In some ways, it was clearer why Anakin had pursued Padme so long and so passionately. As a slave, the younger man had to constantly work for Watto’s approval, and as a Jedi, he’d had to work for the Council’s approval. Padme had demanded the same from him, and his response was dutiful, automatic. In moments of bitterness, Obi-Wan wished he’d seen the warning signs sooner...but there was nothing he could do about it now.

“I’ve got to run.”

Picking up her plate, Leia placed a kiss on Anakin’s cheek and hurried into the kitchen.

“Are you sure you don’t want help with the star chart?” Obi-Wan queried, craning his neck slightly so he could see over the island counter.

“I do” she said exasperatedly, pulling on a thick silken headscarf. “But I haven’t got the time, you know how these magistrates are, if I’m a minute late they won’t listen to me.”

“Drive safely” Anakin said, leaning back in his chair and giving his daughter a stern glance.

Leia sighed explosively.

“I _know_ Dad” she muttered, hastening to the door before pausing. “Love you, thanks for dinner _Damin.”_

“Anytime” Obi-Wan replied, watching with amusement as she tripped over the hem of her dress before rushing out the door.

There was a moment of silence between them as Anakin pushed his plate away and scowled at the door.

“When is she going to settle down and get married?” he grumbled.

“When she finds someone who can keep up with her, I imagine” Obi-Wan chuckled. “Much like you, I’m afraid.”

Anakin grinned.

“So...someone who sighs exasperatedly, gets speedersick, drinks way too much tea and despairs of everything and anything she does?”

“There’s only one me” he replied loftily, taking both of their plates and placing them in the sink. “And I’m far too old to consider new romantic endeavors.”

His former padawan snorted and rose, pausing to wipe down the table before settling onto the couch with a sigh. Obi-Wan let a wistful, nostalgic smile spread across his lips. Anakin’s hair was slowly but steadily turning a very refined platinum. What remained of his blond coloring had started to fade, and would continue to do so until all that was left were long, silken strands of silver. Despite Obi-Wan’s insistence that he was too old for it, he kept his hair long...insisting that it kept him warm and that he didn’t want to go bald before he had to. Privately, Obi-Wan thought he looked dreadfully attractive...age had been good to him, and instead of looking withered and decrepit he gave off the impression of a seasoned aristocrat. The older man would rather be shot dead than stroke Anakin’s ego with that kind of information, so he kept it to himself.

“Admiring the view?”

Obi-Wan flushed, meeting his partner’s gaze with a somewhat stubborn reluctance.

“Maybe” he hedged. “Or maybe you’ve got something stuck to your lip.”

The younger man chuckled and acquiesced as he settled down next to him, leaning his head on his shoulder and closing his eyes.

“We’ve got a Council meeting in two hours, so don’t fall asleep old man.”

Obi-Wan groaned.

“I’m _far_ too old for this sort of thing” he protested.

“Yeah, well, we’ve all talked to you about retirement-”

“-And it’s not happening” he snapped, sitting up abruptly.

Anakin’s eyes were teasing but gentle as he cupped his cheek.

“I know” he said quietly. Relenting somewhat, the older man settled back down. “I think I’m going to appoint Uvell as joint Grand Master over the combative and political sections” he continued. “I don’t think I’m qualified to oversee the non-primori Jedi.”

Obi-Wan blinked.

“It’s a good idea” he agreed. “Uvell is certainly qualified.”

“I know Yoda wanted me to do all of this myself, but I’m not some sort of monarch” Anakin murmured, stroking a hand through his hair. “I promised myself we weren’t going to do the tier system when we rewrote the Code, and I feel like I’ve gone back on my word.”

“Yoda knew that he wanted someone who understood multiple facets of the Force to succeed him” the Jedi Master replied. “He made the proper choice.”

“And you absolutely don’t want to be Grand Master too?”

Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“We’ve talked about this Ani. I’ve never wanted to be Grand Master. The amount of responsibility that comes with the position is staggering, I could never do it and remain in a stable form of mind.”

“Heaven forbid you lose what’s left of your sanity.”

“Yes, exactly” the older man replies stubbornly. “I’m old enough to start losing my mind any day now.”

Anakin groaned and nudged his head off his shoulder; gently coaxing him to lie down on the coach so he could settle over him, lips nuzzling at the crook of his neck. Obi-Wan shivered slightly as the warmth of his breath hovered over his pulse-point.

“I reiterate” the younger man murmured. “Not that old.” Giving up all pretense of argument, Obi-Wan captured Anakin’s lips; still soft even after so many years. The hair that he threaded between his fingers was silky and subtle; smelling faintly of soap and sage...distinctly Anakin. He was familiar with everything about him now; the soft hitch of his breath when he was aroused...the way his fingers flexed and curled around him...the blush that seemed to start in his eyes before it bloomed across his cheeks. Anakin’s voice was somewhat lower now, without the stilted, somewhat awkward inflection it had held in it’s youth...still devastatingly alluring. “We’re doing this now, huh?”

Obi-Wan chuckled.

“Are you complaining?”

Anakin’s expression of desirous eagerness flickered into something shy and tentative.

“You know I’m not” he said hoarsely. “I just...I’m not...we don’t do this as often anymore, and sometimes I think I’m not as...appealing as I used to be.”

“Oh, Anakin” Obi-Wan said quietly. “You’ll be beautiful to me ‘till the day I die, forgive me my refractory period, I’m not as young as I used to be either.”

His former padawan laughed, somewhat tentatively.

“Yeah, I know how that feels.”

Threading their fingers together, the Jedi Master lifted their joined palms and kissed his knuckles, reveling in the fact that Anakin shivered with every press of his lips.

“I love you” he murmured.

Anakin’s answering smile was as breathtaking at fifty as it had been at twenty two.

“I love you too” he replied, slender fingers sliding through his beard. “I’ll love you forever...”

“...forever and beyond.”

* * *

 

[](http://s1380.photobucket.com/user/Arnediadglanduath/media/obikin2_zpskgfupz0a.jpg.html)

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** I've been wanting to get this done for a while. Two more to go I think. Yes. Anyway, I like the concept of Anakin and Obi-Wan as an older couple. This was more of a 'the author needed to clear some things up' chapter than a chapter with much plot. Had some time this afternooon. It's not in-depth, but it covers what I wanted to cover. 
> 
> Also, need some help here. If a story has one followup chapter does that qualify it as a series? I didn't know how to tie them both together without making it a series. 
> 
>  
> 
> **R &R**


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